Earth Day is next Wednesday, April 22. Here at Minnesota Children's Museum, we're marking the occasion a few days early with an Earth Day celebration on Saturday, April 18. From 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., we'll be unearthing fun "green" activities like building a robot out of recycled materials and discovering the life cycle of a pencil.

If you don't make it to the Museum this Saturday, here are a few nature-inspired activities to do as a family this weekend.

• Ask children to compare shapes of leaves, observe the shades of green outside and try matching crayons to them, make a nature collage, or draw animals.
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  Dance and movement spark creativity too. dance in the sun and watch the shadows. Watch and copy how squirrels and pigeons move.
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  Or throw leaves in the air and watch them float back down. Drama and role-play inspire imagination.
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  Music is often found in the rhythms and sounds of nature. At home, children can listen and imitate sounds like wind, insects, and birds. They can even make musical instruments with natural materials like seeds, pebbles, and sticks.